Wave motor



April 12 1927.

J. J. MANN ET AL AVE MOTOR Filed July 9, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 .fo/m 1 Hana 7 William J. Mann M. H. Vm: Cocverden. 2

April 1927 J. J. MANN E WAVE MOTOR Filed July 9. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 n QM e m w a "0 a6, a V K fim 1 WM J a. M

Patented Apr., 12, 1927.

UN ITED STATES JOHNJ. MANN PATENT OFFICE.

AND WILLIAM J. MANN, or oAKLANn, cALIFonNIA, ANnMAnsnA' L H. VAN COEVERDEN, OF SAN MARCIAL, NEW MEXICO.

.wAvE MOTOR.

Application filed July 9, 1925 Serial No. 42,415.

, into usable form.

Heretofore many such structures have been devised, butnone have met with'continued' success. Chief among the difiiculties hasbe'enl the failure to develop a device which is'suiiiciently adaptable to the vagaries of the sea to yield good results and uniform development of power.- Also the mechanlcal features themselves have failed to give satisfaction, and in many cases this seems to have been due-to too great complexity in structural design. 1

The ob 'ects" of the present invention are to provide a simply designed device capable of smooth and uniform operation under at least allnormal conditions of the sea, with which power may be generated economically on a commercial scale. These objects include development of. a structure which shall have long life and shall operate efficiently over a long periodof, continued use. V

The present, wave motor includes means for compensating for the difference in speed between incoming waves andv outgoing waves, and means for balancing and steadying the various parts in their -'operation to insure even flow of power froma driven shaft orv shafts. These means comprisein one form a pair of driven shafts each of which has thereon apair of clutches of unequal size driven from a drum actuated by a paddle by the to-andfro movement of waves, the drum serving to drive cables extending to the clutches. The clutches preferably include sliding plates adapted to disengage freely on reverse movement without consuming any powerwhatever for disengagement. The two driven shafts with the drum constitute a unit and the shafts serve to cooperate to render operation uniform and" steadyga fly wheel being provided on one shaft if desired to assist in equalization, while certain of the cables may passover idle pulleys which serve as shock absorbers between the drum and the respective clutches, thereby further assisting even operation. Two such units preferablyare' coupled and are arranged to. receive impulses from. waves at different times, also for the purpose of uniformity.

The invention resides further in the various combinations of parts and features of construction disclosed herein, pointed out in the appended claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings. c

In the drawings wherein certain embodi-j ments are shownby way of example,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one unit of the present invention;

Fig. 2'is a vertical section through that clutch on the driven shaftatthe left of Fig.- 1 which is beingidriven from the drum by anincoming wave;

Fig. 3 is a like-view showing the position of asimilarly operated clutch on the shaft at the right of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a corresponding view of the other clutch'on the left shaft showing the movement of the same while reversing under movement ofthe drum and paddle to drive the. clutches of Figs. 2 andB;

' Fig. 5 is a similar viewof the second clutch onthe right shaft;

Fig; 6 is a vertical transverse section through the two clutches on the right shaft I of Fig.1 as indicated bythe line 6-6;

7 is'an' elevation showing diagram]- matically the connection of two units of the present invention; and i I Fig. .8 is a sectional detail through the drum taken onthe line 8 8 of Fig. 1. I

The wave motor is shown as being carried upon piles 10 carrying supporting beams 12providedwith bearings 14 for the shaft 15of the heads 16 of'a cable carrying and driving drum 18. Said heads 16 may be shouldered as seen in Fig. 8 for positioning said drum, and the parts are held by means of bolts 20. Depending arms 22 which support a paddle 24 extend within the drum heads and are carried and positioned by means of'the shaft 15 and 'a bolt 20, whereby the drum and its cables are actuated upon oscillation of the paddle. Drum 18 is provided with annular grooves'25 for the reception'of a plurality of cables as shown in Fig: 8. I l The cables are arranged intwo pairs, a pair extending on each side of the drum. each cable passing around the drum and being secured thereto if necessary in any suitablemanner. Of the right pair which serves to drive the primary or maindrive shaftA of the unit, the cable is crossed while the cable 32 extends directly to and from the drum. Of the left pair of cables which drive a secondary shaft 13, the cable 34 is crossed while the cable 35 runs direct. Some or all of the cables are carried over idle pulleys 36 mounted on supports 38, these pulleys serving as shock absorbers between the drums and the clutches l0, by controlling any slack in the cables and taking up any slap or back-lash, so that the flow of power transmitted from the drum will be as constant and uniform as possible. This uniformity is promoted by employment of a fly wheel F on the main shaft A, or where a second unit is employed, as is preferred and as shown in Fig. 7, the fly wheel. F may be carried on the main shaft A of said second unit; or fly wheels may be used on two or more shafts as required.

A clutch is provided; for actuation by each able, the cables and 34 passing over smallpulleys 42 preferably formed integral with the housings l0 of the respective clutches, while the cables 32 and are passed over large pulleys 44 formed on the housings 10 of the respective clutches. The pulleys 4A are approximately three times the diameter of the pulleys to compensate for the greater rate of speed of the incoming waves over the rate of the receding water, for the purpose of evening and rendering nearly constant the flow of power to the shafts A and B and thence to devices to be driwen.

The construction of t he various clutches is identical except for the ditl'erence in size of the pulleys and lel. However, a clutch housing. having either pulley size may be machined from the same casting merely by cutting down to the required diameter. Each housing it) and ell) has a cover 48 secured thereto by means of screws 50, the covers being apertured at 52 and the housings being recessed at 53 to receive pivoting stems or pins 5% of clutch blades 55 which are adapted to engage shoulders 56 ofhubs 58 keyed at 60 on the respective shafts A and P. Screws 62 serve to hold the clutches against longitudinal movement on the shafts.

It is preferred to employ a unit comprisingthe shafts A and B and associated mem bers with a second unit comprising the shaftsA' and B and similar associated parts as indicated in Fig. 7. and for this purpose the primary shafts A and A of the two units areprovided with pulleys 61L (Fig. 6) for a connecting belt 65. These units will be so spaced along thepath of incoming waves as to have thepaddles act-u ated at different times, that is by waves at different stages of movement so that the flow of power will be moreeven.

.Inioperation oscillatory movement of; the

paddles will cause the drums l6, .lSto actuate the clutches -l0, 4-0 and thereby the shafts Ai and ll, and A and B, through the various cables 30, 32, 3i and hen the paddles A are actuated by an incoming wave, as indicated, the cables 32 and 35 will cause the blades 55 of the respective clutches elOto engage their shoulders 56 and to rotate the shafts (Figs. 2 and 3.), while the blades 55 of the clutches 40 will be moved in the reverse direction by their crossed cables 30 andiial and will ride freely over their shoulders 56. Upon actuation by the receding water, whose rate is slower, the clutches l0 will cause rotation of the shafts atfsubstantially the same rate due to the smaller size of the pulleys 42. By providing the idle pulleys 36 shock or slap of the cables is.

prevented and is not transmitted to the clutches. By provision of the two shafts A and B in each unit, the action of one sulficiently cooperates with the action of the other to equalize and steady the operation while the fly wheel F whereverused assists to insure uniform and constant- .flow of power. Shaft A maybe used to drive a generator and shaft 13 may be connected for driving light machinery or the like. lVhere two units are used and the shafts A and A" are connected by belt (55 (Fig. 7), power for driving a generator may be taken from one of these shafts only, while power for auxiliary purposes may be taken from the shafts .B and B as desired.

Thus, it will be seen that we have providcd a simple and el licient wave motor which may be operated continuously to yield a substantially constant and uniform llow of ower to any driven device.

Also it will be seen that the use of two or more units will improve the uniformity of operation.

W e claim:

1. .A wave motor comprising an oscillating member, a pair of drive shafts driven thereby, a pair of clutches for driving each shaft, pulleys of different diameters connected with the clutches of each pair for driving the. same, and cables connecting said member with said pulleys for driving both shafts continuously in the same direction.

A wave motor comprising an oscillating drum, a shaft luiving a pair of clutches thereon, each clutch having a cable receiving surface in the form of a pulley face, the clutch pulleys having different diameters and beingadapted to drive the shaftin the same direction upon opposite movements of the drum, and cables extending from said drum tosaid pulleys.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures.

JOHN J. MANN. 'WILL J. MANN. MARSHALL H. VAN COEVERDEN.

Ill) 

